1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to overheated steam ovens and, more particularly, to an overheated steam oven which is suitable for home use by simplifying a construction and reducing a size of the overheated steam oven.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, to cook foods, the foods may be roasted by heat, such as in a gas oven, the foods may be steamed by vapor, such as in a steaming vessel, or the foods may be boiled with water, such as in a cooking vessel. Also, there are methods to cook foods using microwaves, far infrared rays, and overheated steam, etc.
Cooking using the gas ovens may relatively evenly heat foods in the gas oven. However, this method is problematic in that a taste of the foods deteriorates due to oxidation resulting from the food contacting oxygen in air. Cooking using vapor needs plenty of water, but this method risks that the foods may be insipid do to some water being absorbed into the foods during cooking. Cooking using the cooking vessels have a problem in that the foods may be burnt by overheating a part of the foods. Cooking using microwaves or far infrared rays require the foods to be rotated due to fixed radiating directions of the microwaves or the far infrared rays. Further control of a temperature of the food is difficult using these methods, and the foods may easily dry during cooking. In summary, to appropriately cook foods, cooking apparatuses must evenly heat the foods at suitable temperatures. However, the above-mentioned conventional cooking methods are difficult to satisfy cooking conditions in that the temperature must be appropriately maintained.
Cooking using overheated steam is a method in that overheated steam is discharged into a cooking cavity. Since cooking using overheated steam evenly heats foods, the foods may not be partially burnt, and a cooking temperature is easily controlled by controlling a volume of the discharged overheated steam. Also, since oxidation of foods does not occur, cooking using the overheated steam has an advantage in that cooked foods have a better taste.
However, conventional cooking apparatuses using the overheated steam include a cooking cavity to contain foods therein, a steam boiler to generate the overheated steam, a water tank to supply water into the steam boiler, and a plurality of steam pipes to discharge the overheated steam generated by the steam boiler into the cooking cavity. Hence, cooking apparatuses are complex and costly. Accordingly, the conventional cooking apparatuses using overheated steam are both difficult to use at home and in a wide open establishment, as in a large restaurant for business. Also, in the conventional overheated steam cooking apparatuses, the overheated steam generated by the steam boiler is discharged into the cooking cavity through the steam pipes, resulting in increased heat loss.